Due to recent healthcare mandates surrounding value-based reimbursement models, the realm of healthcare is, more than ever, focusing upon direct, objective, and data-driven information. As such, the need to measure and understand ultimate patient outcomes and the total financial impact of care across the healthcare system and or facility has greatly increased–enter downstream analysis.

Downstream analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the monetary value and cost created within and associated with the full cycle of a patient’s care, such as office visitations, inpatient services, and ambulatory services. This analysis can track care over an extended period of time and within various points of usability, including, but not limited to, referral patterns, patient flow, and the potential for financial return and financial growth. 

Downstream analysis can therefore trace care patterns on a large scale, and can analyze whether or not a patient is progressing and 1) whether or not to implement certain interventions, and 2) whether or not particular interventions are yielding positive results. This allows healthcare systems or facilities to identify areas of improvement, while further allowing the healthcare systems and facilities to focus on efficiency and financial effectiveness, and in turn, allows a higher quality of care.

Virtual healthcare, or telehealth, is a particular tool that can utilize and maximize downstream analysis. At RelyMD, our Community Virtual Health (CVH) program understands these fundamental implications in regards to reimbursements and in regards to increasing downstream revenue for the healthcare system, as a whole. Our telehealth platform provides accessibility and affordability to the community, through the lens of a localized healthcare system.

For example, a potential patient would access your 24/7 access virtual urgent care service within minutes, and from there, have a comprehensive, care-coordinated healthcare experience. The patient, in this case, could be readily diagnosed with bronchitis or the flu. Within the RelyMD virtual platform, our ER-trained physician are readily able to assess and offer a coordinated care plan that would: 1) fill a prescription to a local pharmacy or a pharmacy of the patient’s choice, and 2) if necessary, set-up an appointment through the RelyMD platform to a local Primary Care Physician or speciality provider for further assistance and or follow-up.

According to the Advisory Board, “it is estimated that as many as 20 percent of virtual care patients would theoretically convert to being full-service patients of a hospital or health system at an estimated annual revenue increase of approximately $3,000 per patient.”

RelyMD’s virtual approach to high-quality healthcare and care-coordination would therefore increase the likelihood of retaining the bronchitis patient within a particular healthcare system or facility, and in turn, would increase a healthcare system’s or facility’s downstream overall revenue. The implementation of a telehealth program within a healthcare system or facility would undoubtedly have impressive benefits, and further, would not only be fully reimbursable for the healthcare system or facility, but would also incite patient acquisition and return due to an overall increase in quality of care.